Matrix for supporting a unit sole for roughing or the application of adhesive

ABSTRACT

A matrix for receiving a rigid unit sole of the kind wherein there is a sharp slope and relatively large drop from heel to forepart comprising a rigid form containing a cavity of such shape and depth as to contain the unit sole with its top surface substantially flush with the top of the form, said form having a peripheral contour corresponding to that of the unit sole, a top surface corresponding to the longitudinal profile of the top surface of the sole, a height greater than the maximum thickness of the unit sole, and a bottom surface, the longitudinal profile of which is substantially parallel to the top surface. Alternatively, the bottom may be flat and provided with a peripheral flange. The matrix is employed to enable traversing the unit sole peripherally in a machine provided with cross-feed rolls for advancing the peripheral edge of the matrix against fixed guides or provided with opposed feed rolls arranged to engage the inner and outer sides of the bottom flange to advance the matrix peripherally.

United States Patent 1191 Von Schoppe A v [451 Jan. 8, 1974 MATRIX FOR SUPPORTING A UNIT SOLE FOR ROUGHING OR THE APPLICATION OF ADHESIVE [75]. lnventor: Bertram A. Von Schoppe, Marlboro,

Mass.

[73] Assignee: Compo Industries, Inc., Waltham,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Dec 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 315,630

Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney-G. Eugene Dacey et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A matrix for receiving a rigid unit sole of the kind wherein there is a sharp slope and relatively large drop from heel to forepart comprising a rigid form containing a cavity of such shape and depth as to contain the unit sole with its top surface substantially flush with the top of the form, said form having a peripheral contour corresponding to that of the unit sole, a top surface corresponding to the longitudinal profile of the top surface of thesole, a height greater than the maximum thickness of the unit sole, and a bottom surface, the longitudinal profile of which is substantially parallel to the top surface. Alternatively, the bottom may be flat and provided with a peripheral flange. The matrix is employed to enable traversing the unit sole peripherally in a machine provided with cross-feedrolls for advancing the peripheral edge of the matrix against fixed guides or provided with opposed feed rolls arranged to engage the inner and outer sides of the bottom flange to advance the matrix peripherally.

15 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 8 1974 3783.463

FIG?

F166 FIGB MATRIX FOR SUPPORTING A UNIT SOLE FOR ROUGI-IING OR THE APPLICATION OF ADHESIVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The conventional unit sole is flexible, relatively thin and flat and can be bent to dispose its entire top surface in a single plane so that the unit sole can be mounted in the cavity of a matrix having flat, spaced parallel top and bottom surfaces with its top surface in the plane of the top surface of the matrix and traversed relative to roughing and adhesive-applying instrumentaltties in such machines as shown in Smalley, U.S. Pat. No. 3,1 19,133 and Peterson, US. Pat. No. 3,390,663, for the purpose of roughing the marginal edge of the unit sole and applying adhesive thereto. In contrast, the unit sole now in vogue is relatively thick and inflexible and when the top surface slopes sharply from heel to toe and drops appreciably it cannot be bent to dispose it in a single plane and so while the roughing and adhesiveapplying instrumentalities provided in the aforesaid machines are mounted to yield to a degree, they are not designed to yield to the extent required to follow the contour of the surface of this kind of unit sole and at the same time to maintain uninterrupted feed. It is accordingly the purpose of this invention to provide an improved matrix by means of which rigid unit soles of the aforesaid kind may be successfully traversed in the aforesaid and like machines for roughing and application of adhesive without excessive displacement of the roughing and adhesive-applying instrumentalities and hence without requiring modification of the aforesaid machines.

SUMMARY As herein illustrated, the invention resides in a matrix for use in traversing a relatively rigid unit sole marginally in engagement with an operating instrumentality for perfonning an operation on the top marginal surface of a unit sole of the kind wherein the top surface slopes sharply from the heel to the forepart and wherein there is a relatively large drop in level from the surface at the heel to the surface at the forepart; comprising a rigid form containing a cavity deep enough to receive the unit sole, said form corresponding in peripheral contour to the shape of the unit sole, having a top surface corresponding in contour to the top surface of the unit sole with which the top surface of the unit sole when deposited in the cavity is substantially flush, a height no less than the thickness of the unit sole and a bottom surface substantially parallel to the top surface. Alternatively, the bottom surface of the form may be flat and have at its peripheral edge a downwardly extending flange, the lower edge of which lies in a common plane.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a unit sole with a thick platform forepart, high heel and deep shank intermediate the sole and heel;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one form of the matrix according to this invention;

FlG. 3 is a longttudinal section taken on the line 3-4 of FIG. 2 showing the unit sole deposited therein in dot and dash lines;

F10. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of a roughing machine showing the matrix supported at its underside by a roll and with a roughing tool engaged with the upper surface of the unit sole seated in the adapter;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the cross-feeding means employed in the roughing machine illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section of an alternative form of matrix; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical section of an apparatus for traversing the matrix shown in FIG. 7.

The conventional unit sole is flexible and can be bent and placed in a matrix having top and bottom surfaces which are substantially parallel with its top surface in a single plane for traversing relative to the roughing and adhesive-applying instrumentalities in machines such as shown in Smalley, US. Pat. No. 3,1 19,133, and Peterson US. Pat. No. 3,390,663. In contrast, the unit sole shown herein (FIG. 1) is inflexible, relatively thick at the forepart 10 and the top surface slopes sharply from heel 12 to forepart and there is a relatively large drop in level from heel to forepart. The shank 14 may be deep. Since a unit sole of this kind cannot be bent to dispose its top surface in a single plane for mounting in a matrix having parallel top and bottom surfaces even by making the cavity deep enough to receive the unit sole and since the roughing and adhesive-applying instrumentalities of the aforesaid machines are not designed to yield to the extent required to follow the contour of the top surface of the sole and continue to maintain continuity of feed, these machines cannot be employed for this purpose without major redesign. It is the purpose of this invention to provide an improved ma trix for receiving the unit soles illustrated herein and guiding them in the aforesaid machines for roughing and the application of adhesive to their marginal edges without requiring modification or design of the aforesaid machines.

To make it possible to use the aforesaid and similar machines for the purpose of roughing and applying adhesive to the marginal edge of these soles without redesign, there is provided, according; to this invention, a modified matrix 18 for receiving the unit sole which has upper and lower curved surfaces substantially parallel to each other as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The matrix 18 comprises a rigid form 20 containing a cavity 22 having a peripheral contour 24 corresponding to that of the unit sole and a depth at the forepart, shank and heel corresponding substantially to the unit sole so that when the unit sole is placed in the cavity the upper surface is substantially flush with the upper surface of the matrix except for projection of the knurled edge 25 at the peripheral edge of the unit sole. The peripheral surface 26 of the matrix corresponds in contour to that portion of the unit sole to be roughed but is larger by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the wall of the cavity. The top surface of the matrix corresponds in longitudinal profile to the longitudinal profile of the top surface of the unit sole and is transversely flat. The thickness of the matrix is greater than the maximum thickness of the unit sole at the forepart and heel and has a longitudinal profile at the bottom surface which corresponds to that of the top surface and is parallel thereto so that the matrix is of the same thickness throughout.

With such a matrix, a unit. sole, such as shown in FIG. 1, may be roughed by the simple expedient of placingthe unit sole in the cavity 22 and lowering the support 28 on the roughing machine shown in FIG. 1 to provide sufficient space to receive the matrix 18 between the upper surface of the supporting roll and the roughing tool 32. The matrix is traversed peripherally against guide rolls 3636 (FIG. 6) by the supporting roll 30 which is driven. Since the top and bottom surfaces of the matrix are of corresponding contour the upper surface of the matrix will remain in a substantially horizontal plane during the traversing operation, that is, the portion of the top surface in engagement with the roughing tool at any given instant during the traversing operation can be maintained in a predetermined horizontal plane relative to the roughing tool so that it is not necessary to redesign or modify the aforesaid patented machines to provide for a large vertical displacement of the roughing tool and/or to provide for increasing the vertical dimensions of the guide rolls to insure continuity of feed.

Adhesive could also be applied in the same machine by substituting for the roughing tool 32 an adhesive applicator in the form of a nozzle or roller.

The aforesaid matrix may be modified as illustrated in FIG. 7 by providing a flat bottom surface peripherally thereof and a downwardly extending flange 40 by means of which it may be traversed, in a machine such as shown in FIG. 8, comprising a supporting table 42 on which the matrix is adapted to rest and feed rolls 44 and 46 arranged above the table for engagement with the inner and outer sides of the flange. The inner feed roll 44 is driven and the outer feed roll is spring-pressed toward the inner feed roll to traverse the form peripherally relative to an applicator 48 supported in a position above the table for engagement with the upper surface of the unit sole.

The matrix 18 in either form may be made out of any suitable material, for example wood or plastic, and the cavity may be of such size as to receive soles of three sizes, for example consecutive full sizes and the half size therebetween.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an operating instrumentality for performing an operation on the top marginal surface thereof, wherein there is a relatively wide difference in the level at the top surface between the heel and forepart; comprising a rigid form containing acavity designed to receive the unit sole, said form corresponding in peripheral contour to the shape of the unit sole having a top surface corresponding in contour to the top surface of the unit sole, a height no less than the thickness of the unit sole and a bottom surface which is substantially parallel to the top surface.

2. A matrix according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the form is transversely substantially flat.

3. A matrix according to claim 1, wherein the form has at its bottom surface a downwardly extending peripheral flange, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane.

4. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an operating instrumentality for performing an operation on the top marginal surface thereof, wherein the unit sole has a thick forepart and high heel contour, comprising a rigid form containing a cavity designed to receive the unit sole, said form corresponding in peripheral contour to the marginal portion of the unit sole to be operated on, having a top surface corresponding in contour to the top surface of the unit sole, a height no less than the greatest thickness of the unit sole and a bottom surface substantially parallel to the top surface.

5. A matrix according to claim 4, wherein the bottom surface is transversely flat.

6. A matrix according to claim 4, wherein there is a downwardly extending flange at the bottom surface extending peripherally thereof, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane.

7. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an instrumentality for performing an operation on a predetermined portion of the top marginal surface thereof, wherein the unit sole is not flat and has a thick forepart and heel contour; comprising a rigid form containing a cavity corresponding in shape and depth to the unit sole so that when the unit sole is deposited therein the top surface of the unit sole is substantially flush with the top surface of the form, said form having a peripheral contour corresponding to the contour of the marginal portion of the unit sole to be presented to said instrumentality, a top surface which corresponds in contour to the longitudinal section of the top surface of the unit sole, a height greater than the greatest vertical thickness of the insole and a bottom surface which has a longitudinal profile corresponding to that of the top surface of the unit sole.

8. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an instrumentality for performing an operation on a predetermined portion of the top marginal surface thereof, wherein the unit sole is not flat and has a thick forepart and high heel contour; comprising a rigid form containing a cavity corresponding in peripheral shape to the peripheral contour of the unit sole and a depth at the heel, shank and forepart into which the unit sole is adapted to be deposited with the top surface at the top flush with the top surface of the form, said form having a peripheral surface corresponding to the contour of the marginal portion of the upper surface of the unit sole to be presented to the instrumentality, a top surface corresponding in contour to the longitudinal profile of the top surface of the unit sole, a height greater than the greatest thickness of the unit sole at the heel, forepart and shank and a bottom surface which has a longitudinal profile substantially parallel to that of the top surface of the sole.

9. A matrix according to claim 8, wherein the bottom surface is transversely flat.

10. A matrix according to claim 8, wherein there is a downwardly extending peripheral flange at the bottom surface, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane.

11. The combination with a machine of the kind having a support, an operating instrumentality and feed means, of a matrix for receiving a unit sole for traversing peripherally between the support and operating instrumentality by said feed means, said matrix containing a cavity into which a non-flat unit sole is adapted to be placed with its upper surface substantially flush with the top surface of the matrix, said matrix having a peripheral contour corresponding to but larger than that of the unit sole, a depth greater than the greatest thickness of the unit sole and a bottom surface which is substantially parallel to the top surface.

12. The combination with a machine of the kind having a support, an operating instrumentality spaced therefrom and feed means, of a matrix for receiving a unit sole for traversing of the unit sole between the support and operating instrumentality by said feed means, said matrix containing a cavity into which a non-flat unit sole is adapted to be placed with its upper surface substantially flush with the top surface of the matrix, said matrix having a peripheral contour corresponding to but larger than that of the unit sole, a height greater than the greatest thickness of the unit sole, and a bottom surface, the contour of which corresponds in contour to that of the top surface.

13. A combination according to claim 14, wherein the feed means comprises spaced guides and a driven feed roll arranged to advance the edge of the matrix against the guides.

14. A combination according to claim 14, wherein the matrix has a downwardly extending peripheral flange at its bottom surface, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane, and the feed means comprises confronting feed rolls adapted by engagement with the inner and outer sides of the flange to advance the flange peripherally.

15. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the support and instrumentality are movable relative to each other and there is means yieldably urging one toward the other. 

1. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an operating instrumentality for performing an operation on the top marginal surface thereof, wherein there is a relatively wide difference in the level at the top surface between the heel and forepart; comprising a rigid form containing a cavity designed to receive the unit sole, said form corresponding in peripheral contour to the shape of the unit sole having a top surface corresponding in contour to the top surface of the unit sole, a height no less than the thickness of the unit sole and a bottom surface which is substantially parallel to the top surface.
 2. A matrix according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the form is transversely substantially flat.
 3. A matrix according to claim 1, wherein the form has at its bottom surface a downwardly extending peripheral flange, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane.
 4. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an operating instrumentality for performing an operation on the top marginal surface thereof, wherein the unit sole has a thick forepart and high heel contour, comprising a rigid form containing a cavity designed to receive the unit sole, said form corresponding in peripheral contour to the marginal portion of the unit sole to be operated on, having a top surface corresponding in contour to the top surface of the unit sole, a height no less than the greatest thickness of the unit sOle and a bottom surface substantially parallel to the top surface.
 5. A matrix according to claim 4, wherein the bottom surface is transversely flat.
 6. A matrix according to claim 4, wherein there is a downwardly extending flange at the bottom surface extending peripherally thereof, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane.
 7. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an instrumentality for performing an operation on a predetermined portion of the top marginal surface thereof, wherein the unit sole is not flat and has a thick forepart and heel contour; comprising a rigid form containing a cavity corresponding in shape and depth to the unit sole so that when the unit sole is deposited therein the top surface of the unit sole is substantially flush with the top surface of the form, said form having a peripheral contour corresponding to the contour of the marginal portion of the unit sole to be presented to said instrumentality, a top surface which corresponds in contour to the longitudinal section of the top surface of the unit sole, a height greater than the greatest vertical thickness of the insole and a bottom surface which has a longitudinal profile corresponding to that of the top surface of the unit sole.
 8. A matrix for use in traversing a unit sole marginally between a support and an instrumentality for performing an operation on a predetermined portion of the top marginal surface thereof, wherein the unit sole is not flat and has a thick forepart and high heel contour; comprising a rigid form containing a cavity corresponding in peripheral shape to the peripheral contour of the unit sole and a depth at the heel, shank and forepart into which the unit sole is adapted to be deposited with the top surface at the top flush with the top surface of the form, said form having a peripheral surface corresponding to the contour of the marginal portion of the upper surface of the unit sole to be presented to the instrumentality, a top surface corresponding in contour to the longitudinal profile of the top surface of the unit sole, a height greater than the greatest thickness of the unit sole at the heel, forepart and shank and a bottom surface which has a longitudinal profile substantially parallel to that of the top surface of the sole.
 9. A matrix according to claim 8, wherein the bottom surface is transversely flat.
 10. A matrix according to claim 8, wherein there is a downwardly extending peripheral flange at the bottom surface, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane.
 11. The combination with a machine of the kind having a support, an operating instrumentality and feed means, of a matrix for receiving a unit sole for traversing peripherally between the support and operating instrumentality by said feed means, said matrix containing a cavity into which a non-flat unit sole is adapted to be placed with its upper surface substantially flush with the top surface of the matrix, said matrix having a peripheral contour corresponding to but larger than that of the unit sole, a depth greater than the greatest thickness of the unit sole and a bottom surface which is substantially parallel to the top surface.
 12. The combination with a machine of the kind having a support, an operating instrumentality spaced therefrom and feed means, of a matrix for receiving a unit sole for traversing of the unit sole between the support and operating instrumentality by said feed means, said matrix containing a cavity into which a non-flat unit sole is adapted to be placed with its upper surface substantially flush with the top surface of the matrix, said matrix having a peripheral contour corresponding to but larger than that of the unit sole, a height greater than the greatest thickness of the unit sole, and a bottom surface, the contour of which corresponds in contour to that of the top surface.
 13. A combination according to claim 14, wherein the feed means comprises spaced guides and a driven feed roll arranged to Advance the edge of the matrix against the guides.
 14. A combination according to claim 14, wherein the matrix has a downwardly extending peripheral flange at its bottom surface, the lower edge of which lies in a single plane, and the feed means comprises confronting feed rolls adapted by engagement with the inner and outer sides of the flange to advance the flange peripherally.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the support and instrumentality are movable relative to each other and there is means yieldably urging one toward the other. 